Thursday, September 29, 2011

I've already posted about my work room transformation. I love my work room. I'll love it more when it is completed. Whatever.

In the summer I prefer to work outside or in the open garage. I worked at my little kiddie table on my little kiddie chair....UNTIL.
I was at the estate sale of a longtime Jacksonville resident and artist. His studio was a saloon in the 1800s. And look at what i spyed at the back of the yard!

It is a table from the saloon, 150 years old, cut from one slab of tree. It's 12 feet long and has character like crazy! (Read: dry rot). Four antique dealers swarmed and I slapped my "SOLD" sticker on it lickety-split. Mine!

It has one good foot and three in various stages of decay, the aforementioned dry rot and cracks throughout. Perfect.
We had to get a flatbed trailer to get it home. Here it is early on. We had to raise it a bit so I wasn't banging my knees. And there was a bit of disarray.

I've been working on organization and now know pretty much where everything is and, best of all, I have 3 work stations on one table.

Another fun thing we did for spay paint storage was build a cabinet from fruit crates. I still have to put labels on but for now, here it is open.

And closed. Cool, huh?

Now I need to get off the computer, get out to the garage and finish 3 things!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

I've been struggling to get a Facebook page going for Bad Rabbit. I had one up and running then I .... somehow .... deleted all the posts when I tried to get rid of photos that I thought were in the wrong place.

My Honey tells me I can't control the photos, that the bar on top will change whenever I post something new.

Can't control the photos? As a graphic designer I find that to be the stuff of nightmares. NIGHTMARES!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Okay, so we know I heart the Union Jack. I had been eyeballing the little red chair in my livingroom for weeks; to paint or not to paint, that is the question. Oh heck, paint! The old, worn red paint was an interesting shape to I took my favorite color - olive - and altered it to the Union Jack. It came out very abstract, no?

It took hardly any time at all for me to really dislike the red and green combo. Seriously? The Christmas Jack? Ugh, but I lived with it for ages. Then I couldn't take it any more, plus I got a new shipment of Chalk Paint. So there I was, eyeballing my little Christmas chair with ASCP firmly in hand. Here's what I have now. Still a graphic, abstract Union Jack but much more fun (to me, anyway).

I used Graphite, Graphite with black pigment added, Paris Grey and Old White. I lightly sanded to reveal some red, topped with clear wax and a good buffing. I'm really happy with my little gray chair. Now, I have to decide if I'll list it on etsy.

And, of course, I'm looking at every stick of furniture, asking the silent question: Wanna be a Union Jack?

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

I have the most wonderful customers! My store on etsy.com has been busy! In the last several days I have shipped the following:

And I sweat bullets hoping A: It arrives safely and B: the customer is happy. Like I said, I have the most wonderful customers! I received emails telling me how much they loved the furniture and one customer said my work makes her happy. Yay! The nice woman who purchased my advertising trunk actually called me to say how much she and her husband love the trunk! Talk about Make My Day! Happy Dance Happy Dance

That's what it's all about - creating things for people to love. Makes me a happy girl.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

When I got home with this carriage not a word was said, not good, bad or indifferent. Clearly my Honey thought I'd lost my mind. But I had a vision and Google. Google helped me figure out how to proceed and the vision kept me going. The carriage sat for months, then on Super Bowl Sunday I sat and worked on it during the game stopping to watch the commercials.

Just a little ratty, wouldn't you say? And the Killer Attack Spider living in it is a whole separate story.

Good thing the Super Bowl lasts for hours. I sat the whole time reweaving. There are a couple holes I can't fix because the reed or rattan or whatever isn't available in my small town. BUT. It still turned out better than I ever thought!

And now it is doing its intended job of holding my current fabrics where I can see them, and it is looking adorable while doing it. Diving into something without a clue might not be for everybody but it seems to work for me.

I still intend to fix the loose cane at the bottom and the little holes here and there, but eh. Maybe during the Super Bowl.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Real Milk Paint are my big paint passions right now. (Until I perfect my own concoction. But that is another story entirely.) When i first tried these paints I had only sample sizes in random colors. I had a table to paint and I decided to use what I had.

I had no idea what would happen layering milk paint over chalk paint and vise versa. This was before I decided to make my own paint and had that white chair adventure. But for those of you that haven't used the two types of paint together Here are some photos of what to expect.

When layered, the Milk Paint and Chalk Paint craze and crackle on their own. We had a house guest when I painted this and we sat and watched the paint split and crack. He called it "The most amazing process", and it was! There is no way crackle glaze can compete with this.

I sanded just a little bit on some edges but for the most part all the distressing on this table was done without any help from me. When the paint was dry and set I rubbed in some dark wax to accent the crazing. And I love the result.

The finished table is really pretty. The patina is amazing. The colors are rich and old. Speaking of colors, I used Real Milk Paint Tavern Green, Pumpkin and Light Cream with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Old White, Paris Grey and Duck Egg Blue.

I reluctantly listed the table on etsy. sigh. I can't keep everything. I hope whoever purchases this treasure loves it as much as I do.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Poor Michael. I was out running an errand when my car suddenly took a sharp right at a garage sale sign. I swear! And that's how I ended up coming home with a clunky prairie style desk and a heavy topless dresser stuffed into my car.

Exhibit A and B:

The dresser was $2. Notice the bin pulls. It has $30 worth of bin pulls. And it was my Honey, not ME, that decided this battered old thing should be restored.

A couple days before I dragged those specimens home, I ran across this treasure on the way to an appointment. A REAL treasure! 1920s waterfall cedar chest with wooden hinges. With some help I got it stuffed into my car.

Exhibit C:

A couple weeks ago I came home with this nifty chest. Wait 'till you see what I have planned for it!

Exhibit D:

There is one more piece - a big FREE prairie dresser. I have a great idea for it. I can hardly wait!

Exhibit E:

So this is what is up and coming in the next several weeks. As soon as the bathroom is done....... meanwhile these big pieces of furniture and more are crammed into the garage. Poor Michael.

Friday, September 2, 2011

I'm not going to dwell, but my reality is I deal with cancer day in and day out. HOW I deal with it is what matters. I deal with it with a good attitude and what my doctor calls Functional Denial. What that means is I ignore being sick and just get on with my life. Which is painting furniture and ..... JUNKING!

Having a passion for something enriches anyone's life, but when going through life's less-fun moments, your passion and attitude is what will make or break you. So far I have defied all the doctors' expectations and have left them scratching their heads. My test results say I should be in chemo but the reality is I'm doing great and my doctors have chosen to not treat me until further notice. PASSION, people. And a healthy dose of functional denial. And a strong sense of just get on with it. And garage sales.

I can't help it. I have Union Jack sweaters, t shirts, pillows, jewelry and even furniture. Which brings me to my Union Jack dresser. It's everything I love - olive green and the Union Jack, together on a vintage dresser. What else could a girl want?

I saw this dresser on the way to work one morning and skidded to a stop. A garage sale was being set up and my timing was right. I quickly checked the dresser out - dove tail drawers, Basset, cool hardware. MINE! I called my Honey and asked him to pick it up for me.

A few hours later my Honey calls and asks me if I knew the dresser was made of particle board. Say WHAT? That wasn't all. In short it is the crappiest dresser Basset ever made and no way could I ever paint and sell it.

So I painted it for ME. I used my favorite colors and stylized the Union Jack in the manner of Vivienne Westwood or AllSaints (meaning, yes I know the stripes are incorrect) and what I now have is a uniquely me piece of furniture.

I used acrylic paints over an oops-paint white. Then finished the bottom and sides with glaze. Finally the whole dresser was coated with clear wax.

Places my furniture has been featured!

About Me

I am an artist and graphic designer who has fallen in love with painting furniture. This furniture passion has helped me fight a rare and aggressive cancer, for which there is no cure, and I hope I can inspire others as I continue on my journey. I live a happy, creative life on a small farm with my awesome hubby, 3-1/2 cats and 3 mini horses. Plus whatever deer, turkeys, bears, foxes, hares or coyotes that wander by.
I can be reached at bad.rabbit.vintage@gmail.com